Government not trusted over handling of NHS

A BBC Radio 5 poll has found that more than two-thirds of people "do not trust" the way the government is dealing with the health service.

The online survey, which was carried out for the BBC by the independent company ComRes, showed one third of respondents did not trust any political party with the NHS.

Labour received the highest number of votes for trust in taking care of the health service, with 37%, while less than a tenth of respondents said they trusted the Liberal Democrats.

The figures, taken from the poll of 1,005 adults in England, showed less than a fifth (18%) believed that the Health Secretary Andrew Lansley was "doing a good job".

Eight out of ten respondents said they did not believe the government had gone far enough in explaining how it planned to reform the health service.

More than half of the people who participated in the online survey - 58% - said they "did not understand" the government's proposed reforms of the NHS.

Health Minister Simon Burns said: "Reform is never easy, but patients are already benefiting from GPs designing local health services and a renewed focus on improved results."

Clare Gerada, chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said: "I'm not surprised at the poll findings. This bill is the largest piece of legislation that has ever hit us. It is phenomenal and very, very complex."

"But the one thing it won't do, and let's be very clear about this, it won't reduce bureaucracy."